1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for recording and delivering personalized audio messages. In particular the present invention relates to systems and methods for generating devices such as greeting cards with non-erasable personalized audio messages contained thereon.
2. State of the Art
The greeting card industry manufactures and sells greeting cards of many different types and for many different occasions. The greeting card is intended to assist consumers in expressing their feelings and/or in helping the consumers find the appropriate things to say at particular times. Greeting cards are often sent at holiday times, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Greeting cards also often accompany gifts. Because of the great number of greeting cards available with many different messages, greeting cards attempt to inject a personal aspect to the communication. However, the message of the card rarely expresses exactly what the consumer wishes to say.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,976,049 to J. J. Ronci, discloses a talking greeting card which produces an audible message or greeting. The greeting card includes a small phonograph disk which is rotatably connected to the greeting card and a needle. The needle presses against the disk grooves as the disk is rotated manually by the user. The needle vibrates, transmitting the vibrations through the card, amplifying the resulting sound waves. While such an arrangement could produce an audio message on a greeting card, it will be appreciated that the quality of the sound would be very poor, and that the arrangement is bulky and unlikely to be commercialized.
Other greeting cards have been manufactured which play synthesized music when the card is opened. In particular, cards incorporating a memory, an oscillator/speaker, and a battery are known, where the card is activated by a switch when the card is opened. These types of greeting cards generally play "Happy Birthday", a holiday tune, or some other recognizable melody which is matched with the purpose of the card and which is preprogrammed by the manufacturer. This design provides the card with an audible message but does not allow the user to personalize the message.
Recently, personal audio messages have been combined with a Christmas tree ornament. The ornament is effectively provided with an analog audio system (i.e., miniature tape recorder) which allows the user to press a button and record a personal message. Upon pressing of a playback button, the message can be played back by the receiver of the personal message. While this arrangement permits a personal message to be provided, the arrangement is less than optimal in that it requires that the sender physically manipulate the ornament in making the message (i.e., the sender must physically obtain the ornament and "program" it). In addition, the message can be either intentionally or accidentally "overwritten" by the receiver of the ornament, and the ornament can then be provided with another message. Further, because both recording and replaying technology is required on the ornament, and the ornament is utilizing analog technology, the ornament is quite expensive.
Digital audio technology in the form of semiconductor chips has also recently been made available. The chips permit direct recording of audio information onto the chip, and a playback of that audio information from the chip. These chips have been used as part of a message center which permits a consumer to record a personalized audio message. As with the Christmas tree ornament, the provided system requires that the user activate the system for recording the message. In addition, because the system is intended for use as a message center, it is expected that the message will be regularly overwritten with additional messages which can be accessed by the receiver of the message.